Marcelino García Toral

Asturian manager who led Villarreal to Champions League qualification after returning in 2023.

Marcelino García Toral (; born 14 August 1965), known simply as Marcelino, is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. In a ten-year senior career, he amassed La Liga totals of 74 matches and two goals, all at the service of Sporting de Gijón. He became a manager in 1997, working in the top division with Recreativo, Racing de Santander (two spells), Zaragoza, Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao, being named best coach in Spain for the 2017–18 season and winning the 2018–19 Copa del Rey with Valencia and the 2020–21 Supercopa de España with Athletic. After a brief stint in charge of Marseille, he returned to Villarreal in November 2023.

Quick Facts

Born: 14 August 1965
Birthplace: Villaviciosa, Spain
Height: 1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in
Position: Attacking midfielder
Total caps: 262
Total goals: 17

Lore & Background

Born in Villaviciosa, Asturias, Marcelino was irregularly used in his first four professional seasons, at Sporting de Gijón. He did appear in a career-best 33 matches in the 1986–87 campaign, as the club finished fourth in La Liga. His top-flight debut was on 22 December 1985, in a 1–1 away draw against Celta. After two Segunda División spells, with Racing Santander and Levante, both ended in relegation, Marcelino moved to the lower leagues with Elche. He retired in 1994 at only 28, due to injury. He started coaching at 32 with lowly Lealtad, also in Asturias. In the early 2000s he worked in the Segunda División B, with Sporting's reserves.

Reader's Guide

Marcelino signed with Villarreal on 14 January 2013, returning the team to the top flight at the end of the campaign and going on to subsequently achieve three top-six finishes, which included a fourth place and a semi-final run in the Europa League in 2015–16. On 10 August 2016, a few days before the first official match of the season, Marcelino was sacked for differences with the board of directors, particularly over the removal of Mateo Musacchio from club captaincy. He returned to Villarreal on 13 November 2023, signing a three-year contract; he was their third manager of the campaign after Quique Setién and Pacheta, with Miguel Ángel Tena also having acted as interim for one game. On 4 May 2026, Marcelino announced he would be departing at the end of the season, having led the club to two consecutive UEFA Champions League qualifications.

Playing Career and Early Origins

Born in Villaviciosa, Asturias on 14 August 1965, Marcelino played as an attacking midfielder. His entire ten-year senior career was spent at Sporting de Gijón, where he made 74 La Liga appearances and scored two goals. He was irregularly used for his first four seasons but had a career-best 33 matches in the 1986–87 campaign as the club finished fourth in La Liga. His top-flight debut occurred on 22 December 1985 in a 1–1 away draw against Celta. After two Segunda División spells with Racing Santander and Levante that both ended in relegation, he moved to Elche before retiring in 1994 at age 28 due to injury. As a youth player, he was part of the Spain U20 squad that finished as runners-up in the 1985 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Rise Through the Ranks and Early Management

Marcelino began managing at age 32 with Lealtad in Asturias, winning the Tercera División in 1997–98. In the early 2000s, he coached Sporting de Gijón's reserves before taking charge of their first team from 2003 to 2005, finishing fifth and tenth in the second division. He then joined Recreativo de Huelva, leading them to promotion in his first season and a mid-table finish in La Liga the next, earning him his first Miguel Muñoz Trophy for 2006–07. After resigning, he took over at Racing de Santander, guiding them to a sixth-place finish and UEFA Cup qualification. In May 2008, he joined Real Zaragoza with the objective of promotion, which he achieved; in doing so, he rejected Valencia and became Spain's highest-paid manager at €2.4 million per year. He was fired by Zaragoza on 13 December 2009 following poor results, though the team remained above the relegation zone.

Major Trophies and Top-Tier Achievements

Marcelino managed Sevilla for the 2011–12 season but was relieved of his duties on 6 February 2012 after seven games without a win. He signed with Villarreal on 14 January 2013, returning them to La Liga and achieving three top-six finishes, including a fourth place and an Europa League semi-final run in 2015–16. He was sacked by Villarreal on 10 August 2016 due to differences with the board over captain Mateo Musacchio. Appointed at Valencia on 11 May 2017, he won the Copa del Rey in his second season by defeating Barcelona 2–1 in the final held in Seville before being dismissed on 11 September 2019. On 4 January 2021, he joined Athletic Bilbao, winning the Supercopa de España in his first three games with victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona. He also reached two Spanish Cup finals during this tenure but lost both.

Recent Tenures and Lasting Legacy

Marcelino announced his departure from Athletic Bilbao on 24 May 2022, effective 30 June. After a year of inactivity, he agreed to a deal with Marseille in June 2023 but resigned on 20 September after seven matches for personal reasons. He returned to Villarreal on 13 November 2023, signing a three-year contract as the club's third manager that season. On 7 March 2024, his side lost 4–0 at the Stade Vélodrome in the Europa League last 16 first leg. By 4 May 2026, he announced his departure at the end of the season after leading Villarreal to two consecutive UEFA Champions League qualifications. His individual honors include the Miguel Muñoz Trophy for 2006–07 and 2017–18, the Segunda División version in 2008–09, and La Liga Manager of the Month awards in September 2013, September 2015, March 2024, and November 2025.